


Little Little

by deenda



Category: EXO (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, EXOVelvet, F/M, Fluff, idk what i wrote, seulkai - Freeform, surene, wenyeol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:53:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23611843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deenda/pseuds/deenda
Summary: drabbles of exovelvet.each chapter is not related to the others, you can read it separately!will update whenever i can hehe
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene & Kim Junmyeon | Suho, Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kim Junmyeon | Suho, Kang Seulgi/Kim Jongin | Kai, Park Chanyeol/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Kudos: 22





	1. of sweet things and hugs

**Author's Note:**

> hi! it's my first time writing a fanfic for exovelvet. I think all of them look great together, but I'm not a fanatic shipper.  
> I wish both of them are always happy :))  
> im sorry if there are mistakes in grammar or spelling, english is not my first language.
> 
> p.s. all of these events are fictional. I do hope it happens irl tho..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> surene and domestic things.

[1]

30/12

-00.27-

Junmyeon is tired.

Today wasn't a very good day. He is tired, his feet are aching, and he feels hungry but is not in the mood to eat. His manager is away to take some stuff from the car. He is in his apartment, alone and lonely. He just finished a gig that is located not very far from where he is living, but it doesn't help much to his tiredness. He feels worn out, he wants to sleep but couldn't, and so he just turns the TV on to watch whatever is in there. His manager comes in to put the rest of his stuff, so he says thank you and his manager went home. 

He contemplates calling Baekhyun or Chanyeol, but his mind warns him not to, as they must be tired too. Not to mention Chanyeol must be with Seungwan, as they haven't met each other in a long time and he knows it because Chanyeol won't stop whining about it. 

He takes his phone, wanting to text her.

No. He can't. 

They were in a fight yesterday, the problem being their busy schedules and a slip of the tongue, all because they're just tired. It's the end of the year, and being idols, they have many year-end awards to attend right after Christmas until the 31st. He complained that she looked thinner and more tired, and told her to eat more. She said it's from the practice and she didn't really feel like eating. Somehow it continued to a heated argument and finally she said that she wanted to sleep and not to call her again.

So he didn't.

He stares at the TV instead. Some cooking show is on, and he watches it half-heartedly. He fell asleep not long after. 

\---

31/12

-10.27-

He wakes up to the smell of scrambled egg and waffles, and his mind slowly registers that he was alone last night. _wow, the eggs could cook themselves,_ he sloggily thinks, _great. thanks, eggs._

Wait.

They could not. 

He opens one eye and then the other, standing from the sofa and pushing the blanket away (wait, where did this blanket come from?). Pushing the thought away, he walks to the kitchen and found the person who cooked the eggs. Her back is turned to him, she is using the mixer. It created a loud sound so she didn't hear him coming closer. He would know her figure anywhere, could easily recognize her even without seeing her face. 

At that moment she turns around and finds him staring at her. She jumps a little, a reflex.

"Oh my! You scared me for a second there!" she laughs a little at his pillowface, and then motions him to sit and eat what she has prepared. He nodded wordlessly, not even asking why she's here. He eats, and she watches him eat with a satisfied expression.

After eating and getting to his senses, he looked at her properly. Joohyun is wearing a cream-colored sweater, the one that's a bit too big on her, but she likes it that way, she told him. _I don't like wearing something that's too tight. It makes me look smaller than I already am._ Junmyeon smiles at her (and the memory). _You'll look tiny whatever you wear,_ he had said jokingly that time, and earned himself a smack in the arm. 

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Joohyun pulls him out of his daydream.

"Cause you're pretty." He automatically replied, and then realizes what he said. "Joohyun, I-"

Joohyun smiles, the pretty smile that reaches her eyes, and reaches across the table to ruffle his hair. "Bedface." she chuckles. "Go take a bath, you must be tired after spending a night sleeping on the couch." She took his empty plates and walks to the sink. He follows her, his feet taking him there, as if they have a brain of their own. She washes his plate and the cooking equipments she used earlier. He hugs her from behind, smelling her peony shampoo. It's so comforting that he closes his eyes; she doesn't move and just keeps washing. 

She turns around to face him after she's done, sprinkling water on his face with her hands. "Hey!" he laughs. She laughs too. 

"I'm sorry for that time I yelled on the phone." She said, her voice a bit small; shy to be muttering apologies. Junmyeon makes her look at him. "I'm sorry too, Joohyun. I know you're busy but I just nagged you for no reason. I should understand, as I work in the same field as you are. But I don't know why, but I can't see you suffer." He decided not to lie, as there is no point in lying to The Bae Joohyun, who will see straight through his lie like it's the easiest thing in the world.

"I don't mean to nag more, but it's my job and we both know it's tiring. I didn't blame you, but let's be more understanding from now on. Just be there for each other when we know both of us are tired, okay?" They talked about this before, because with their jobs and their reputation at stake, they can't just go around freely with each other without cameras flashing or fans recognizing both of them instantly. They agreed to do this secretly, with only the company and their close friends and families knowing. But apparently some things are easier said than done.

She knows he's overprotective like that, but she also wants him to know that she can handle things herself just fine. She didn't want to be a clingy, needy girlfriend.

He knows that she can handle things herself, but he also wants her to know that he's there now, with her, that he cares about her. 

They stood in silence. Her hands linger on his waist, hugging him, but she looks at him with those beautiful pair of eyes, and he can't, he just _can't_ refuse.

"Okay." 

"Okay."

She hugs him, he hugs her back, and she jokingly smells him and said, "Ew!! go take a bath, I won't hug a smelly man like this." He hugs her even tighter, and she squeaks in laughter. "You smell like scrambled egg." He retorts. She glares at him, and shoos him to take a bath while she cleans up the kitchen. 

He finishes taking a bath and joins her on the couch. She’s texting someone and he sits beside her, also taking out his phone to check his schedule for the day. He got practice later at 3, and he asks her what her schedules are for the day.

“I got rehearsals later at 1. I have to go in a bit, Jun.” She smiles, feeling guilty. But Junmyeon knows it, and hugs her. They stay snuggled up to each other on his couch. “That’s okay, Joohyun-ah. We agreed to be understanding towards each other, right?” Joohyun sighs and nods in the hug, hugging him back and leaning her head on his shoulder. “My practice will end at 10, probably. What time will you be finished?”

“Maybe at one or two in the morning? I don’t know, today is the 31st and we usually stay until new year. You know, countdown and whatnot.” She sighs again.

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do later.” He stays silent after that, he doesn’t know for how long, until Joohyun’s head feels a bit heavy and he lifts his head a bit to see her already sleeping, her breaths coming out evenly. _She must be tired,_ he thinks to himself. So he leans back to the couch and lets her sleep in his embrace, and she turns and mumbles a small _ah, warm_ before going back to sleep.

He chuckles. His girlfriend is very cute that way, but there’s no way he’s telling her that without getting smacked or glared at. He made a mental note to wake her up when her manager is already downstairs waiting.

\---

01/01

-02.51-

“Ah, I hope this year I can go on many vacations.” Sooyoung said loudly on their way back to the dressing room. They have just finished the year-end awards, and as usual, the five of them counted down together until it’s new year, and when the clock hit 12, they hug each other, proud of themselves for enduring another year. Joohyun is proud of her kids; as she stares fondly at them, chattering loudly and laughing, sometimes dragging her on their inside jokes and making her laugh too. They prayed for a better, happier, healthier year ahead. “Joohyun-unnie is 31 now!!!” Seulgi and Yerim had exclaimed loudly after they hugged each other earlier, earning a glare and a _shut up, you guys aren’t that young too_ from Joohyun.

“Let’s go. The five of us.” Seulgi says happily. “We are free until this February, right? Let’s go!” Seungwan echoes Seulgi. Everyone looks at her in unison, and she realized that she’s been spacing out. “What?” she stares back blankly.

“Vacation, unnie. Come on, let’s go somewhere warm and enjoy ourselves!” Yerim looks at her expectantly. She laughs a little and nods. “Okay, okay. You guys choose, I’ll go wherever.” They enters the changing room and she can hear the excited chatter of Sooyoung, relaying the idea to their manager, who looks dead tired but nods anyway.

They go down to the basement where their van is parked, walking with their managers in front of them. Suddenly Joohyun is poked on the shoulders by her manager, who’s been walking behind them. She turns around and her manager whispers so only both of them can hear, “Later when we got into the van, you get into the car beside it, okay?” He smiles knowingly, and then proceeds to speed up his walking to the front before she has the chance to ask anything.

Joohyun is so tired, she just nods and doesn’t think about anything else. She walks to the van and her manager points with his eyes to the black car beside their van. She squints.

Wait.

She knows that black car.

Her eyes got bigger with the realization, and she hurriedly looks around to see if there is any camera, but doesn’t find any. Apparently this is a private basement only for the artists, so cameras aren’t allowed here. And they are the only one there, as far as her eyes can see, so she hurriedly gets in the passenger seat and closes the door.

Junmyeon is holding a small cupcake with a candle, beaming at her happily. “Happy new year, Bae Joohyun.” His face is lit by the candles, and Joohyun’s tiredness seeps away a little when she sees him smiling like that. She smiles back, makes a wish, and he does too. They blow the candle and clap together like little kids.

She kisses him after that, short and sweet, as his car is not see-through from the outside. He smiles on her lips, and she smiles too. “Happy new year, Kim Junmyeon.”

\---

01/01

-03.24-

They return to his apartment, being extra careful by hiding themselves in a cap, mask, and glasses and they make their way up. Joohyun washes up, and Junmyeon prepares their glasses of wine while waiting for her.

Joohyun gets out from the shower, feeling somehow refreshed, to find him sitting on his warmed carpet, watching Netflix. She sits beside him and he turns his attention to her, smiling.

“How did you get there? How did my manager know? What-“ she’s a bit speechless, as Junmyeon never goes to find her on her schedules, afraid that people will find out. This is the first time he has ever picked her up from her event.

“I texted your manager, asking what time you will be done today. Also asked if it’s safe to pick you up. He said it’s fine today, because it’s a private basement and you guys will be home earlier than the others. So I went home and showered after practice, and drove there to pick you up.” She nods at his explanation, sipping her wine once in a while. “Thank you. It means a lot to me.” She holds his hand and intertwines their fingers together.

They watch Netflix in comfortable silence. Joohyun likes it. With Junmyeon, it doesn’t have to be cuddles and kisses at all times, but sometimes they just stay like this, her head on his shoulder, comfortable and content with each other’s presence.

That’s when Junmyeon remembers something and turns to her, making her lift her head from his shoulder to look at his questioning stare. “Your manager said something earlier- what was it, again?” He tilts his head, trying to remember. She looks back at him questioningly.

“Ah! He said it’s not the first text he got tonight about ‘picking up you ladies’ after the event. What’s he talking about?” She stares, and he can practically hear the gears start turning in his girlfriend’s head.

“What else did he say?” She asks him.

“Wait, let me check my phone. I also talked to him on the phone so it’s a bit confusing..” He scrolls through his phone, searching for the chat with her manager. She peeks from beside him, curious.

“Ah. There you go.” Joohyun takes his phone and reads their chat. After the greetings and the things that Junmyeon said earlier…

_Ah, you guys really. It’s not the first text I got tonight about picking up the ladies. I hope you guys meet later,_ _ㅋㅋㅋㅋ_

_What do you mean, manager-nim?_

_Nothing_ _.. hehe. Pick her up at around two, Junmyeon-ssi. I won’t tell Joohyun that you came to pick her up. Let it be a surprise. Goodluck and happy new year!_

The text ends with Junmyeon wishing her manager a happy new year, and Joohyun is more confused than she already is. Then something clicks in her mind.

“Wait. Jun.” She scrolls her phone to her private SNS. “Is Jongin updating anything on his SNS?” Junmyeon checks his private SNS, too, and both of them finds a picture posted in Jongin’s private account. It’s a picture of a girl, her back to the camera. She is wearing a sweater and comfortable pants, standing in front of a glass wall, seemingly looking outside. The glass walls are familiar, Junmyeon recognizes it as Jongin’s apartment. The captions says, _even the smallest of the small things about you are huge to me. happy new year._

Next to him. Joohyun suddenly laughs. “Ah, really, this guy.” Joohyun chuckles. Junmyeon stares at her dumbly.

“What?” He asks her.

She turns to him, putting her hand on her heart, exaggerating her response while holding back a laugh. “You really don’t know? Who this girl is?” Joohyun zooms at the picture to the girl, with long wavy black hair.

“No. Who?”

“Now I know why manager-oppa said that to you.” She says, amused. Junmyeon still stares at her, not getting his answers making him more confused. “Kim Junmyeon, you are so so clueless.” She chuckles again, this time a bit louder because apparently Junmyeon’s puzzled expression is the funniest thing to her right now. She then opens the gallery in her phone, and proceeds to show Junmyeon a photo of the five of them backstage before the awards show started. He stares at the picture, and his wine-influenced brain processes the picture, and says in his mind, _Joohyun is so pretty there_. He then proceeds to look at the others, Sooyoung and Seungwan in their brown hair, Yerim in her short, black hair. And then…

“Ah!!!” He exclaims loudly, clapping his hands as realization dawns on him. “Wait, Jongin is dating… Seulgi?!” He looks at Joohyun. “Unbelievable! Jongin hurried off from practice earlier, you know. Said he got something to prepare for. Can’t believe he’s using his chance today.”

“I know, right. That boy asked me about Seulgi’s favorite food yesterday, and now I guess I know what it’s for.” She smiles to herself. She checks the Red Velvet group chat, and seeing no new chats at all, she knows that they must’ve slept already. She simply mentions Seulgi in the group chat and types, _congratulations, silly bear._

She knows that it’ll blow with questions later in the morning, and she puts her phone away.

They resume talking about other things after that, neither of them realizing that it’s five in the morning, and they end up on Junmyeon’s bed, passed out because of wine and the atmosphere, mostly. Jumnyeon sleeps hugging Joohyun, his arms hugging her waist and nowhere, because he’s a polite man like that. Joohyun sleepily mumbles _goodnight, Jun_ before drifting off to dreamland in his arms. Junmyeon kisses her hair and mumbles it back, joining her in their deep slumber.

\---

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> p.s. Jongin's caption is Little Little lyrics in English, hence the title of this story.  
> kudos and comments are highly appreciated :)
> 
> thanks for reading and see you in my next work(s)!


	2. one day in your life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongin and Seulgi enjoy their holiday together in Bali. 
> 
> all fluff, i can't write angst (it broke me.) :")

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to chapter two of my work!!  
> hope you like this one, this took 4 days (i think) to finish, hehe  
> and also this chapter has 5.4k words and it's the longest one-shot I've written ^^

[2]

“I can’t believe this man.” Seulgi puts her handbag on the dorm’s sofa, sitting there and sighing.

“He won’t do reckless things, she said. He is a very well-planned man, she said.” Yerim passes by her to the kitchen, chuckling. Seulgi groans.”That’s what I thought too!! Who knows that he will impulsively buy plane tickets to Bali? What has gotten into him?”

“What else? It’s you who have gotten into him.” Sooyoung winks playfully. “I can already picture him thinking of spending a romantic night in Bali with you..” Wendy drinks her soda. Seulgi glares at both of them and pouts again.

“Come on, Kang Seulgi. Let some fun enter your life! Jongin wants you to have the best holiday, you know.” Joohyun smiles from the sofa.

“Says someone who was mad angry when her boyfriend asked her to go to Hawaii together last year.” Seulgi mumbles under her breath.

“Hey! I heard that.” Joohyun slaps her on the arm. “I can say what I said to you today because I enjoyed the trip, and that was a very nice, healing trip.” She reasons. “So just go, Seulgi-ah.”

“tHat wAs a VeRy nIce, hEaLing tRiP.” Yerim repeats in a mocking tone. “You guys are always kissing and then-“

“KIM YERIM!”

\-----

Seulgi enters her room after taking a bath. After drying her hair, she checks her phone for messages. She sighs internally. There are three schedules for her tomorrow, one being a group schedule, the other a magazine photoshoot with Joohyun-unnie, and lastly an interview for a variety show guesting. _Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day,_ she muses to herself. But she smiles, thinking how far she had gone in her career to have things like this. Her mom always says to her to be grateful, and she nods to herself.

Her phone beeps, signaling a new message.

From Jongin.

_Hey._

_You asleep?_

She replies without thinking, _No. Just finished taking a bath. Why?_

His reply comes not long after that.

_Nothing, just wondering how you’re doing. hehe. You’re not mad, right?_

Seulgi smiles. (she is a naturally smiley person, that’s why.) She ponders about what to reply, and then settles with a short _no._ “Let’s see what you’ll do, Kim Jongin.” She grins, and then continues to her night skincare routine.

Her phone rings almost immediately.

_Gotcha._

“Hello?” she says calmly.

“Ya, Kang Seulgi! You’re still mad at me?” He says, half-joking.

“No. Why would I be?”

“But…I- see, when you women do that I don’t know what to do! You say you’re not mad but you’re replying in short texts and answering me like that! It’s frustrating.”

_Women?_

“Women? As in plural? So your other _women_ do that too, Kim Jongin-ssi?”

“Aaaah! I surrender, Kang Seulgi! By other women I mean you and my mom! Come on, I can’t stand not talking to you. Please?” She can practically see him pouting at the end of the line.

She laughs, happy that she succeeded in pranking her boyfriend. “Okay, okay. I’m not mad, just playing with you.”

“Really?"

“Mm.”

“So you’re not mad that I booked tickets and stuff?”

“You do that one more time and I’m really not talking to you, Kim Jongin. I’m serious.”

“Deal! Next time I’ll consult to you first, ma’am.” Jongin laughs. Seulgi laughs too.

“When will we depart, again?” Seulgi opens her calendar application, scanning her schedules briefly.

“Next Monday. Tomorrow is your last schedule, right?”

“No, there is another photoshoot on Thursday. It just got added today.”

“Ah. I see it is another job for the booked star.” Jongin laughs. “Hey. Talk to yourself.” Seulgi retorts. “Don’t think I don’t know how busy you are. If Junmyeon-oppa didn’t talk to the company about resting, I don’t think you’ll be free at this time of the year.”

“Yeah, hyung is dying from not meeting Joohyun-noona for such a long time after the world tour, that’s what it is.” He laughs again. “I’m sure his diplomatic stance helped, tho. Having free time to spend with his girlfriend must’ve fueled his motivation.”

“I’m actually a bit surprised that the company let both of our groups rest at the same time. They don’t do that much, right. Gotta keep the money flowing.” Seulgi says nonchalantly.

“We deserve it, you know.” He stays silent after that, but both of them know that it’s true. They’ve been working their asses off since trainee days together, and seeing both their groups’ achievement makes her proud. He feels that all the hardships they’ve been through for years finally paid off. And it’s only right for the company to fulfill their request.

“Hey. You’re zoning out.” She says to the phone. He laughs. “Yeah, I do that a lot nowadays.” He says, “I guess there are a lot of things to think about. We’ve been in this industry long enough; I’m starting to think of pursuing another job beside this. We all know what happens to long-time idols. Regeneration happens, and there’s nothing we can do besides preparing ourselves for another job, while our names are still well-known among public.“

“Agreed. A bit of a sad truth there, but it’s true.” She says, a bit sadly. “Now I understand why a lot of celebrities open cafes, buy buildings, and invest in a lot of things. My mom talked to me about investing in buildings and apartments, but I’m still thinking about it.”

“And that’s how we know we’re old.” They laugh together. “Call yourself that. I’m still young, old man.” She chuckles. In all truth, she doesn’t know how a simple phone call that started because she wanted to prank him can turn into a deep talk about their future, but that’s just how it is with Jongin.

And she likes it. Likes herself now, likes Jongin.

\-----

It’s dark outside her room in the dorm. Jongin had promised to pick her up at 2 A.M., so Seulgi just slept for an hour before packing her belongings in a medium-sized suitcase (a gift from Joohyun-unnie). After packing she got a bit hungry so she got out and went to cook ramyeon for herself. (She cooked three portions of ramen because she knows there will be little brats asking her for her ramyeon later).

When she finished cooking, Seungwan and Yerim are occupying the couch, each with an empty bowl and a pair of chopsticks.

She ends up sharing her ramyeon with them, and as they are eating, Yerim asks her about her plans in Bali.

“How long will you be gone, unnie?”

“Hmm.. A week or so.” She slurps on her ramyeon. “Why?”

“Nothing.. Just wondering what you’ll both do there…. Just the two of you without managers..” Yeri trails off, earning herself a soft smack on her head. “You little..” Seulgi feels her face redden, and Yeri laughs out loud at the realization.

“But seriously Seulgi-yah, just enjoy your time, okay? I hope not many people there will recognize the two of you. If something happens just call us right away, okay? And remember not to step on the offerings they put in front of the buildings.” Seungwan pats her arm.

“Okay, thankyou, Seungwan-ah.”

“And don’t you dare do naughty things there; I’ll personally come and smack you on the head.” Joohyun suddenly appears from her bedroom. “Ah you guys are eating ramyeon as usual.” She chuckles. Seulgi realizes she was wearing a sweater and ripped jeans, and her white bag is dangling from her shoulder.

“You going on a date this late, unnie?” Seungwan chirps.

Joohyun blushes a light shade of pink. “It’s more convenient at this hour, you know.” She walks to the shoe rack, finding her black slip-ons and slipping them on. “Safe flight and enjoy your trip, Seulgi-yah. I’ll go first, okay? I’ll be back tomorrow at lunch.” She nods to Seungwan and Yerim, and opens the door, revealing Junmyeon in a cap. The three of them wave to Junmyeon and he waves back. Joohyun links her arms with Junmyeon and closes the door.

“Lovebirds.” Yerim shakes her head.

Seulgi realizes it’s almost 2 and she hurriedly brings her bowl to wash it on the sink. “Leave it, unnie. Go prepare yourself! What kind of person goes on a trip with her boyfriend looking like she just woke up from an eight-hour sleep?”

\-----

They arrive at the airport at 2.30 A.M., and their flight is at 4.15 A.M., so they check in first and grab themselves a bite in the lounge. Jongin texts his manager informing that he and Seulgi have checked in and not to worry about both of them. His manager replies with silly emoticons and tells Jongin to contact him and Seulgi’s manager if anything bad happens.

“Here, coffee.” Seulgi hands him a cup of Starbucks. “I’m lucky the barista is sleepy, or I think he’s gonna recognize me. I forgot my mask.” She slurps on her coffee. Jongin laughs. “I don’t think anyone here is awake yet. Even I’m sleepy.”

“That’s because you played a three-hour game with Chanyeol before going here, Kim Jongin. Just sleep later in the plane.”

“ ‘kay.”

They board the plane at 4, and Seulgi plops in her seat, fishing her airpods out. Jongin does the same. Seulgi applies her morning skincare routine and even wears a face pack, which she offers Jongin and he accepts it gladly.

Seulgi doesn’t know exactly when, but she dozed off in the middle of watching a movie in the plane. When she woke up, the plane is dim safe for some passengers’ reading lights; hers and Jongin’s lights are also off. Jongin is sleeping soundly beside her, his hand holding hers. She smiles.

_I would travel anywhere with this man._

She took a photo of him sleeping and their hands intertwined, sets it as her lock screen, and goes back to sleep.

\-----

They arrive in Denpasar at 11.20, and after going through customs, they head to the airbnb. It’s small and clean, and it’s kind of a bungalow in the middle of the city, with a private hot tub and stuff. They decided not to stay at a hotel because _I want to enjoy nature in the simplest way possible,_ Jongin had said when they planned this. _Then go camp on the mountain. I’ll stay at the dorm,_ Seulgi had said that time, and that made him pout.

After putting their luggage in the airbnb, they ask the owner to recommend them food to eat for lunch. The owner said that there is _nasi pedas_ nearby, and said that it is very popular among tourists. He shows them the way and they bought _nasi pedas._ Turns out it is rice with some side dish. The side dishes are all very spicy, but also very delicious. Seulgi likes it so much that she said they should come back for another meal later. Jongin just smiles (between tears because it’s so spicy) and nods.

They decide it’s not too hot to go to the beach, so Jongin drives their rented car to the beach. It’s very pretty and clean, and despite not being in holiday season, the beach is crowded with people, mostly tourists and merchandise sellers. Seulgi got herself a temporary tattoo and a matching bracelet with Jongin.

Turns out Seulgi is a better negotiator than Jongin will ever be. Knowing that the sellers can give tourists an unreasonably high price, she studied Indonesian at the plane and tries to talk in Indonesian to ask for discount. Jongin finds it very amusing and endearing at the same time.

”Ma- mahal!” She stutters, smiling. “Du-a.. dua pulu ribu saja!” She checks her phone and makes a two with her hand, and smiles again to the lady.

The seller lady smiles and says something they don’t understand to her husband, discussing the price. When the seller lady eventually gives her five matching charms for bracelets for a hundred thousand rupiahs, she hands Seulgi the black plastic bag, then says to Jongin, “pacarnya cantik, kak.” Jongin just smiles questioningly and nods, saving the phrase and makes a mental note to ask their airbnb owner about the meaning.

They leisurely stroll the beach, hand in hand, while waiting for the sun to set. “I like it. The smell of the sea.” Jongin suddenly says. Seulgi turns her head to look at him closing his eyes, taking a deep breath and feeling the fresh afternoon air.

“Me too.” She closes her eyes too, and they stand together on the soft sand, their bare feet feeling the sand underneath them.

“You what?”

“Like it.”

“Like what?”

“You.” She pecks his cheek, and then goes back to admire the slowly setting sun.

-

Later, Jongin finds out from their airbnb owner that ‘cantik’ means ‘pretty’ and ‘pacar’ means ‘lover’.

Well, the seller lady isn’t wrong at all.

\-----

They continue their adventure in Bali, having the best time of their lives, going to beaches and watching the sunset every day. They had also seen _Tari Kecak_ , a traditional dance in Bali. Both of them were so fascinated with the dance that they watched it two days in a row.

Seulgi suggested they go to Tanjung Benoa to play watersport on the fourth day, and so they decided to take their car. It isn’t that far, around 50 minutes from their airbnb in Denpasar.

Jongin keeps stealing glances at Seulgi when they are on the road. Seulgi is singing an old song from her playlist; he thinks he heard this song before. He focuses on the road, humming to the songs he knows and enjoying those he doesn’t know.

Suddenly he’s reminded of something he said on the phone the other day.

“Seulgi-yah.” He prompts.

“Mm?”

“Do you want a life like this?” He asks seriously.

“Like what?” She turns to look at him, her brown eyes sparkling.

“A quiet life with no spotlights, just a simple life where we could be nobody and nobody will care what we’re doing.”

“Like now?”

“Kind of.”

She stays silent for a few minutes, contemplating her answer and looking far away. After a song passed, she turns to him.

“Even if I don’t want it, it will come someday, right, Jongin-ah?”

“Probably.”

“So I think I kind of want it. We talked about this on the phone that day, remember? You said it yourself. Regeneration happens, and fame doesn’t stay forever. So yes, I want a life like this later when I’m not on the spotlight anymore. I don’t want to be asking pity from anybody at that time because I was once popular. That is why I’m thinking of investing and stuff, to prepare myself for the later days.”

“Hmm.” Jongin nods thoughtfully. “Wow, our wise bear, Kang Seulgi.” He laughs and pinches her cheeks. She laughs and yelps. “Hey!! Don’t ruin my sunscreen, I don’t want a tan.” She swats his hand away.

They chat about small things after that, and they reach their destination not long after. Tanjung Benoa is a big, wide beach, and there are so many water sport services to choose from. Seulgi scans their prices briefly before dragging Jongin to the third place. “The view looks very good from here.” She reasons, and asks in broken English whether lockers are available for their belongings. When the employee nods, they follow her to the locker station and put their things there, Seulgi handing Jongin the key. Seulgi brings a Polaroid camera, and politely asks the employee to take a picture of the both of them before playing the water sport.

They start playing at around 11, and the sun is scorching hot, they can’t see properly without squinting their eyes. It ‘s so much fun and they play all kind of games available, the banana boat being the popular choice in their list. Jongin had asked the boat driver to flip them in the middle of the sea to make the game more fun.

When the boat flips suddenly after taking a sharp turn, both of them fall to the water and gasp for air. Seulgi instinctively reaches for Jongin, and he finds her hand and holds it tightly.

“Wah!! This is so much fun!!” She shouts.

“Yeah! We should play this again!” They laugh like little kids and the boat driver gives them a thumbs-up.

“Both of you are the best player today!” He laughs, making them laugh with him as they climb back to the boat. “One more time?” The driver asks, making a 1 with his hand.

Jongin and Seulgi looks at each other, and then at the driver. “YES!” They shout, and the driver takes off, making them squeal in delight.

\--

They finish playing and decide to wash themselves in the showering stalls available not far from where the lockers are. It’s 3 in the afternoon, and they haven’t had lunch yet so Jongin suggested they have lunch in the restaurant.

When they are eating, Seulgi feels her stomach churning. _Uh-oh_ , she thinks.

Jongin notices that she stops eating after a few bites, and asks her what’s wrong.

“I don’t know, maybe because all the flipping and turning earlier?” She tilts her head, trying to locate the problem. “Ah, maybe you’re seasick after playing. It’s normal, it’s okay.” Jongin pats her back and then runs a hand comfortingly up and down her back. She burps a little, and Jongin tells her to keep eating.

“Minseok-hyung was also like this the last time we played at the beach. It’s okay, maybe you ate too little this morning. The weather is also very windy today, maybe you caught a cold.” He brushes her hair and tugs it behind her ears.

He knows Seulgi, and he doesn’t want her to feel sorry for being sick. Seulgi gets very silent when she’s sick or in pain, so when she didn’t respond to him, he knows that she’s really feeling sick. So he keeps running his hand behind her back to comfort her, and Seulgi smiles apologetically at him. _I’m sorry, Jongin-ah._ He shakes his head. _It’s okay, Seul._

Seulgi finishes eating with Jongin’s help and drinks hot water to keep the nausea at bay. Jongin leaves to buy her some cold remedy at the convenience store nearby, and when he returns, Seulgi is sleeping, her head buried on her jacket on the table. Jongin wakes her up to drink the medicine and when she wants to put her head on the table again, Jongin stops her and leans her head on his shoulder instead. He circles an arm around her shoulders, sometimes rubbing her back when an uncomfortable expression graces her face. He grows sleepy after a few minutes, so he leans his head to Seulgi’s, and drifts off to sleep.

Seulgi feels better; her nausea was gone a few minutes after she drank the medicine. But her stomach is still a bit uncomfortable, and with Jongin’s head leaning on hers, she decides to just sleep again while enjoying this warm, breezy afternoon with him by her side.

\-----

The next day at night, they’re sightseeing at nearby markets, Seulgi buying a lot of snacks and Jongin accompanying her. Travelling with Seulgi has always been like this; staring at Seulgi and accompanying her to do things she wants to do have been Jongin’s newfound hobby.

“Mmm! This _sate_ is so delicious! Jongin, try some!”

“Oh my,,, this cute t-shirt just for fifty thousand rupiahs? Jongin, let’s buy couple t-shirts!”

“Jongin! Come here, look at this outer! Does it look good on me?”

“Should I buy this? No?”

“Jongin-ah! Sooyoung texted me saying she went to a really good seafood restaurant here last time she visited, and it’s very pretty at night! Wanna go?” She puts her phone back in her bag, her other hand still holding a cup of fresh guava juice she bought just now.

“Are you sure? Is your stomach better already? It’s by the beach so it’s a bit chilly, Seulgi-yah. Also, you’ve eaten many things tonight, how about tomorrow?” Jongin tries to persuade her.

“Ah, really? But all I’ve had was this _sate_ and juice, also some French fries and cake.” She looks at him innocently.

It takes almost all of Jongin’s self-control not to give in to her request, also not to laugh. He holds in his laughter and settles for a smile instead. “Darling, you’ve eaten 10 of the _sate_ and five pieces of cake.” He chuckles. “If we go there now, you can’t eat as much as you wanted to because you’re full already, right?”

“Ah… I guess you’re right.” She bites on her sixth piece of cake and offers him one, which he gladly takes and eats. It’s delicious; no wonder she bought a lot.

“Let’s go there tomorrow, okay? “

“Okay.” She nods and continues to munch on her cake.

After Seulgi and Jongin finished their truckload of food and drinks they purchased at the market, they decided to just go walk along and enjoy the night view. There’s something about Bali that’s magical; there’s not a lot of tall buildings or big department stores everywhere, but there are a bunch of tourist attractions they can enjoy along the way. Cafés with dim lightings that gives off cozy vibes, ice cream bar with a cute atmosphere, a hot soup place, to the fancy clubbing that is starting to open business at this hour of the night.

They walk holding hands, occasionally stopping to take a picture of each other or asking a passerby to take a photo of them. Natives are so nice to them, a few of them even offering to take their picture when they were struggling to capture both their faces _and_ the night view. Using limited body language and a bit of English, they can communicate with the locals well.

“I’m glad we didn’t go to big cities with a lot of people.” is what Jongin said when they slump at their bed later at the airbnb. Their legs are sore but their stomachs are full, and their hearts are warm.

“Why? I’d be glad too if we went to a big city with a lot of people and buildings.” Seulgi sits up on the bed.

“Oh? I thought you’re so happy today because of the village-ish atmosphere here. I thought if I were to take you on a vacation, the place can’t be crowded and full with tall buildings, or else we’ll feel the same like in Seoul.”

“Ah, I don’t have many requirements when travelling. Be it a big city with tall buildings, or a small one like this where I can go shop freely at the traditional markets, I always enjoy it.” Seulgi smiles, the one that reaches her eyes.

“Thanks, Jongin-ah. I never thought a short vacation like this can heal me.” She strokes Jongin’s hair and kisses his cheeks. Jongin blushes and kisses her back. 

_Damn, he loves this woman._

\-----

As he promised, they eat at the restaurant Sooyoung recommended them on their last night in the trip. “Just type ‘Jimbaran Resto’ on your google map, unnie. I promise it’s very nice!” Sooyoung had said through the phone earlier. “And have fun!” Sooyoung ended the call.

Seulgi orders everything the waiter recommends her, also adding some dishes that Sooyoung said is ‘a dish I would kill for’. Credits to her, though, cause it’s really _that_ delicious until Seulgi and Jongin gives upon using spoon and fork, and just eat using their hands instead. It’s a warm night, so Jongin says they should sit outside on the beach. Their table and chairs are placed the nearest to the night sea, giving them a very nice background music of the waves crashing.

They watched the waves in silence, the hustle and bustle of the crowded restaurant being a white noise. Jongin looks at the sea, inhales a deep breath and exhales. Repeats it a few times, and then suddenly talks.

“Our last night in Bali, Seul.”

Seulgi replies without looking, her eyes lingering at the sea.

“Yeah. I think this is, like, my best trip ever.”

“Because I’m with you?” Jongin replies cheesily.

Seulgi _tsk-_ ed. “Don’t get so full of yourself, young man.” She chuckles. “Yes, being with you in this trip plays a big part in why I like it so much. But another reason is that I just feel so.. _me_ , like I’m alive and really breathing for the first time in a long time. The scenery and the atmosphere healed me like nothing else can, so to say I’m happy is an understatement. I don’t know how to explain it, but just know that I’m really, really grateful that you took me here. Thank you, Jongin.”

“Ditto.” Jongin ruffles her hair. “I hope we can go on a healing trip like this again soon. I know that I’m the one who chose this destination, but even _I_ am impressed at how wonderful it actually is. But there’s also a very important thing that I realized here.”

Seulgi turns to look at Jongin. “What is it?”

“I realized that I can go anywhere in this world and be happy about it because I’m with you. It made me realize that my home is a person, and I have finally found her.” He smiles.

“Thank you, Seulgi, for sticking by my side when I’m lost; when I’m not myself and I was nothing but mean to you, you’re always there, making sure I was going the right way and never leaving me. You knew all my weaknesses, and yet you still accept me for the person I am. I just _know_ that I won’t spend my life with anyone else but you. I want to grow old with you, face all the obstacles that the world offers us, holding your hand. I’m everything I am now because you love me, and I promise you that I will love you forever and ever.”

Seulgi’s sight is blurred by the sudden tears, which came unannounced. She blinks, and fresh tears rolls down her face.

Jongin stands up, walks to her, and takes her hand in his. He pulls her to stand up, and walks with her to the beach, the small dim lights from the restaurant being their only source of lighting.

Jongin gets down on one knee and pulls out a velvet box from his pocket.

Seulgi gasps.

“You’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been, Seulgi-yah. So, Kang Seulgi, would you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?”

A pause. Seulgi is speechless, covering her mouth with her hand.

She cries when she nods. “Yes.” She said firmly. “Yes, I’ll marry you and be with you forever, Kim Jongin.”

The smile in Jongin’s face is the happiest she’s ever seen. His eyes lights up along with his whole face, and he _glows_ in happiness. She smiles through tears as Jongin slides a simple, pretty silver ring into her left ring finger.

She smiles when Jongin pulls her into a kiss; and everything felt so right at that moment.

Little did she know she shines in the same happy glow.

\-----

Jongin is an event man.

He, that same Kim Jongin who drools in his sleep, has actually brought along a cameraman from Seoul to record everything he did to propose to her that night. He has purposely chosen a seat quite far from the crowd inside the restaurant, and the said cameraman is seated two tables from them on the beach.

Seulgi was only informed of this later, when they are stopping on a red light on their way back to airbnb. Her stunned expression is still present, and it turns into a big laugh when Jongin told her that there is a cameraman (that he brought from Seoul) recording them when he proposes. “I didn’t expect anything! I thought this is just an ordinary trip!” She laughs. She mumbles a short _huh?_ when Jongin gives her another ring.

"What's this again?"

"My ring, silly. Do I have to put it on myself?" Jongin grins.

Seulgi shakes her head in amusement, and slides the ring into Jongin's left ring finger.

In all honesty, Seulgi never expected Jongin to propose to her on this occasion. Though she always wanted it, she thought marriage is still far away, and it will come naturally one day, but even she is surprised to find no hesitation in her voice when she said yes earlier.

And she certainly didn’t expect the crowd surprising them when they enter their airbnb.

\-----

“SURPRISE!!!”

Seulgi jumps as she opens the door to their airbnb. Jongin smiles behind her, purposely walks two steps behind. Her eyes got all round and big upon realizing the small crowd beaming at her. “CONG-RA-TU-LAATIONS, CONGRATULATIONS!!” Chanyeol starts singing and all of them join, clapping their hands. 

The living room is decorated with balloons and confetti, also a cake with lit candles that Jumyeon is holding. She and Jongin blows the candle and they clap happily.

“How-“ is all Seulgi can say when a big smile breaks on her face, and she is hugged from four different directions, sending her toppling back as she returns the hugs. Jongin steadies her from behind, and Seulgi is drowned by the loud voices of Joohyun, Seungwan, Sooyoung, and Yerim congratulating her, and they hug her one by one. Junmyeon and Chanyeol hugs Jongin and Seulgi, and the girls hugged Jongin too.

They sit at the living room, eating their cake and drinking wine that Sooyoung bought. Joohyun said that Jongin has come to them first, asking for suggestions of how to propose. Yerim has been the one to suggest the beach, and that’s how Sooyoung started to rant about the restaurant through text as soon as Seulgi arrived in Bali. Seungwan has been the mastermind of the four of them flying to Bali to surprise them, ultimately dragging Junmyeon and Chanyeol with them.

“Planning this takes extra strength, you know. I have to hide from you everytime Jongin sends a suggestion of words to propose, and I got pissed with the lame words he chose from the Internet so I just told him to throw away the memorizing and just say what’s on his mind.” Joohyun chuckles, “and he did it quite successfully, I see.” Joohyun pats Jongin’s back. Jongin smiles at Seulgi like a kid who’s been waiting for candy.

“Oh, and I helped him choose the ring!” Chanyeol shouts from the kitchen. He comes to the living room and joins them, sitting on the floor next to Seungwan. “Jongin’s brain apparently short-circuited when I asked what ring he will use to propose. He spent three days just for choosing the ring.”

Jongin and Seulgi’s flight is scheduled the next day at late-night, so they spend the last night chatting with their friends in the airbnb. Apparently all six of them agreed to rent a whole house from airbnb to accommodate their stay there. When Seulgi asks where they are going tomorrow, Junmyeon and Joohyun says that they will spend a night here and continue to Lombok the next day; Yerim, Seungwan, and Sooyoung to Saipan for vacation, and Chanyeol to Seoul first before taking off to Europe in three days for a photoshoot (Yes, he’s the only one who got work. It got scheduled from a long time and it’s the last work before his holiday. Seungwan pouts a little but says nothing.)

\-----

They arrive in Seoul at almost eleven P.M. the next day, and they had agreed to be picked up at different spots to minimize the rumors and whatnot. Sure, people knew they’re dating, and they’ve been doing this for years, but both of them just didn’t want to make headlines for personal things. Also, as the result of their deep talk last night, they decided that they won’t get married right away so there’s no use of making this proposal a big news and making things difficult.

In the car to his house, Jongin is practically glowing with a happy aura as his manager asked him how the proposal went. He nodded and his manager hugs him, telling him to be happy. And then, going back to formal tone, “we shall talk about this again with Seulgi in the office.”

Jongin laughs and his manager laughs along with him.

This is certainly the best trip in Jongin’s life.

And it surely is the best trip in Seulgi’s, too.

-fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thankyou for finishing this long chapter! *claps*
> 
> kudos and comments are highly appreciated, hehe. Feel free to comment if you have anything to suggest, I'll try my best to write it! 
> 
> fun fact: I wrote 'photoshot with Joohyun-unnie' before the seulrene nylon may issue announcement! my mind~~
> 
> once again, thanks and see you in my next work!


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